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The Ph.D. in aerospace engineering program at Florida Tech gives doctoral students opportunities for creative investigation of scientific and engineering problems in topics related to aerospace. Located in the heart of Florida's Space Coast near Kennedy Space Center and a large number of major high-tech engineering companies, Florida Tech was founded in support of the space program and since 1958 has offered students a comprehensive aerospace and aeronautics education.
The Ph.D. in aerospace engineering program prepares graduates for their career using the latest body of knowledge in the industry and by providing excellent research facilities for conducting state-of-the-art research. Three areas of concentration are available for doctoral candidates:
Aerodynamics and fluid dynamics
Aerospace structures and materials
Combustion and propulsion
Florida Tech's faculty is highly distinguished with research interests in propulsion, flight mechanics and control, mechatronics, robotics, fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, computational methods, composite structures, lasers, and hurricane and wind damage, among others. Florida Tech's low student-to-teacher ratio allows students working towards a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering to work closely with professors who mentor their success.
Doctoral students earning a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering at Florida Tech pursue research in a wide range of areas that align with their interests and career goals. The university is home to an abundance of aerospace engineering-related research centers and laboratories including:
Wireless Center of Excellence
National Center for Hydrogen Research
College of Engineering Center for Space Commercialization
Laser, Optics and Instrumentation Laboratory
Wind and Hurricane Impacts Research Laboratory
Dynamic Systems and Controls Laboratory
Robotics and Spatial Systems Laboratory
Federal Aviation Administration Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation
Center for Remote Sensing
Center for Aviation Human Factors
Institute for Materials Science and Nanotechnology
Institute for Energy Systems
Doctoral students in the Ph.D. in aerospace engineering program have an opportunity to work with regional and international research organizations including NASA, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, Florida Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Faculty members are engaged in a wide range of research topics which students can participate and contribute including:
Aerodynamic testing and wind engineering
Experimental and CFD analyses of non-stationery complex flows
Crashworthiness of composite materials
Astrodynamics
Trajectory and mission design organization
Spacecraft Guidance Navigation and Control
Graphic Processing Unit computing
Solid, liquid and hybrid rocket propulsion system design
Florida Tech is surrounded by thriving aerospace organizations/industries who provide internship and employment opportunities to students working towards a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering program. This includes:
NASA
Boeing
Northrop Grumman
Harris Corp.
Embraer
Piper Aircraft
Patrick Air Force Base
Employers seek out graduates with a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from Florida Tech for careers in design and development, field service, marketing, software development, and research at leading aerospace firms. Employers that have hired Florida Tech graduates include NASA, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Harris Corp., GE, Pratt and Whitney, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and Mainstream Engineering.
